Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami mendapat bonus besar bulan ini.

Kami is exclusive “we” (the speaker’s group but not the listener). If you want to include the listener, use kita: Kita mendapat bonus besar bulan ini.

Can I use menerima instead of mendapat?

Yes. Menerima = “to receive” (focus on being given something). Mendapat = “to get/obtain/end up with” (slightly broader, can imply effort or just outcome). Both are fine here:

Kami menerima bonus besar bulan ini.
Kami mendapat bonus besar bulan ini.

What’s the difference between mendapat and mendapatkan?

They’re often interchangeable. Subtle points:

Mendapat is a bit shorter and common in speech.
Mendapatkan can sound slightly more formal/emphatic or can add a sense of “get/obtain something” as a completed acquisition. Both work: Kami mendapat/mendapatkan bonus besar bulan ini.

Can I just say dapat instead of mendapat?

In everyday speech, yes: Kami dapat bonus besar bulan ini. It’s informal/neutral. Note that dapat also means “can/be able to,” so context disambiguates.

Where does the time phrase bulan ini go?

It’s flexible:

End: Kami mendapat bonus besar bulan ini. (neutral)
Front: Bulan ini kami mendapat bonus besar. (emphasis on time)
Mid after subject: Kami bulan ini mendapat bonus besar. (less common) All are acceptable.

Do I need sudah to show it already happened?

Not required. Indonesian often omits perfect markers if context is clear. To make it explicit:

Kami sudah mendapat bonus besar bulan ini. (already) Formal option: telah.

How do I negate it?

Simple negation: Kami tidak mendapat bonus besar (bulan ini).
Not yet: Kami belum mendapat bonus (bulan ini).
Use belum when you expect it might still happen.

Why is the adjective after the noun in bonus besar?

In Indonesian, adjectives usually follow the noun: bonus besar (big bonus), rumah baru (new house). Intensifiers go before or after the adjective:

sangat besar / besar sekali (very big)
Colloquial: gede banget.

How do I say “a very big bonus” naturally?

Neutral/formal: bonus yang sangat besar, bonus yang besar sekali.
Conversational: bonus besar sekali.
Slang (Jakarta): bonus gede banget.

Is there any article like “a/the” here?

Indonesian has no articles. Bonus besar can be “a big bonus” or “the big bonus,” depending on context. To specify “the,” add itu: bonus besar itu. To stress “a single bonus,” you can say sebuah bonus besar, though often sebuah is omitted.

Is sebuah bonus besar okay?

Grammatically yes, but many speakers just say bonus besar. Use sebuah if you really want to count it as one discrete item or in formal writing.

Can I omit the subject in casual speech?

Yes, if context is clear: Dapat bonus besar bulan ini. This is common in chats/messages. In careful speech/writing, keep kami.

What are passive or object-focused alternatives?

Recipient-focused passive: Kami diberi bonus besar bulan ini.
Object-fronted: Bonus besar kami dapatkan bulan ini. Both are natural and shift emphasis.

Should I use di/pada before bulan ini?

Not necessary. Bare time expressions are very common. Formal writing may use pada bulan ini. You’ll also hear di bulan ini in speech, though prescriptive grammar prefers pada for time.

Does dapat also mean “can”? Is that confusing?

Yes, dapat can mean “can/be able to/allowed.” Context solves it:

Ability: Kami dapat pergi. (We can go.)
Obtain: Kami dapat bonus. (We got a bonus.)

Pronunciation tips?

kami: KAH-mee
mendapat: mən-DAH-pat (the first e is a schwa)
bonus: BOH-noos
besar: bə-SAR (schwa on the first e)
bulan ini: BOO-lan EE-nee
Stress is typically on the penultimate syllable.

Is the sentence formal or informal?

Neutral. Variants:

More formal: Kami memperoleh/menerima bonus besar bulan ini.
Casual: Kami dapet bonus gede bulan ini. (colloquial Jakartan: dapet, gede)

How do I say “We (including you) got a big bonus this month”?

Use kita: Kita mendapat bonus besar bulan ini. This includes the listener.

How do I refer back to “it” (the bonus) later?

Use the clitic -nya on the verb or a pronoun:

Kami sudah mendapatkannya. (We already got it.)
Or repeat the noun: Kami sudah mendapat bonusnya. (the/that bonus)

Can I pluralize “bonus”?

Yes, several options:

beberapa bonus (several bonuses)
banyak bonus (many bonuses)
Reduplication: bonus-bonus (used but less common with loanwords) Example: Kami mendapat beberapa bonus bulan ini.